9. Gabriel
Chapter nine
Gabriel
May the best man win.
I walk out of Noah’s room and take a deep breath, needing a second to compose myself. I really wasn’t expecting to find my Vixen standing there naked. And fuck, she’s even more delicious than I thought she would be.
She’s so skinny I’m pretty sure my large hands could wrap around her waist and touch on both sides. But it’s not in that skinny, bony way, where she basically looks like a skeleton. I think she’s just made really thin.
I’ve never really cared about a woman’s size; I take them as they come.
They’re all beautiful in their own way. But Vixen, she holds a special place.
It’s like everywhere she goes, a spotlight shines above her.
One that attracts me, pulls me in, and all I want to do is stand in it with her, hold her, and kiss her.
But I know we aren’t there yet. She and I don’t have the same connection that she has with Noah. I see it. It pisses me off, but I see it. She’s closer to him; she doesn’t care when he touches her or when he flirts with her.
She doesn’t get feisty with him like she does with me, at least, not to the same degree. But I think we’re slowly getting somewhere. I’ll just have to work harder to make her see there’s more to me than what I let on. That she can trust me and love me.
Because that’s what I want with Ronnie. I hadn’t realized it at first, but now I do. Seeing her with Noah, the way she looks at him, the way she smiles at him. I want that. I want her to see me like that.
I want the same thing Hayes has with Cecilia, Burkley with Morgan. I want what Ford has with Emma. Hell, I’ll even take a kid with it too. I love kids. I just need to get my Vixen on board, and I need to have a talk with Noah.
I take the steps down to the main level and over to the kitchen, preparing three bowls of kale and avocado salad with blueberries and edamame. A nice light lunch for my pretty Vixen. Noah and I will most likely eat something else after, but all I care about is making her feel better.
A few minutes later, Ronnie and Noah appear in the kitchen. Noah now has a shirt on, and Ronnie is wearing one of his that ends halfway down her thighs and seems to have nothing underneath. Fuck, she’s so sexy with her long-ass legs and tanned skin.
She comes to stand beside me, looking down into the bowl I’m holding. “Mmm, that looks delicious.”
“I made it just for you.” I smile at her.
“You really are my savior, aren’t you?”
“That’s right, baby. It’s about time you figured it out.” I wink, and she rolls her eyes at me, causing me to laugh.
“Is your medication working?” I ask as she grabs a fork and takes a big bite from the bowl I’m holding, which was originally mine. Oh well.
“Yeah, I still have cramps, but they’re tolerable for now,” she says around her mouthful. “OH MY GOD! Gabe! How do you make food taste so good!?”
I chuckle. “I don’t know, I guess years of cooking for myself.”
“Well, whatever it is, I want you to teach me.” She takes another bite, while Noah and I watch her with amusement. I guess she was hungry.
“Or you could just move in, and I’ll cook for you every day.” I grin.
Her eyes shoot up to mine as she finishes chewing slowly. “Don’t tell Aubrey I hesitated,” she finally says. Which isn’t a no.
Taking yet another bite, she moans loudly and closes her eyes. “AW GAWD! So good. Who knew blueberries would fit so well in a salad?”
Noah and I laugh as she dives in again but then stops and looks at me once more. “This was your bowl, wasn’t it?”
“It was, but I’m feeling more in the mood for a sandwich.” It’s a lie, but she doesn’t need to know that. “How about you take my bowl and yours and go sit down on the couch?”
“Fuck me, yes.” She pats my cheek. “You know me so well.” Then turns and grabs both bowls, bringing them over to the living room.
“Any day, baby. Just say the word,” I call after her while laughing.
“I’ll think about it,” she shouts back, dropping down on the couch.
My eyes widen as I turn to Noah. I’m not sure if she meant the moving in or the fucking her, but I’ll take either. I walk over to the fridge with a new sense of triumph. A sandwich suddenly sounds pretty fucking good.
An hour later, we’re all sitting on the couch with full stomachs. The groceries even came just as we were starting to eat, so Noah and I took care of putting everything away, while Ronnie ate her lunch in peace.
We decided to watch some action movie, since Vixen stated a comedy would make her laugh too much and make her cramps worse. They’ve already started acting up again, despite her medication.
I’m thinking of looking into finding a doctor who will actually find a way to help her. No matter how many times Ronnie can say this is normal, there’s no way it is. Being in pain to the point of being unable to move is never normal. I know a thing or two about that.
She’s currently seated between us, carrying an uncomfortable look on her face, and keeps shifting around like she can’t find a position that helps.
I stand from the couch and get one of the heating pads I had bought.
It’s one of those that she places on her stomach and straps around her back, keeping it secure in place.
Kneeling in front of her, I catch her gaze. “Scoot closer so that I can pass it behind your back. This should help a bit.” She does as I ask before I switch it on, and within seconds it’s already warm to the touch. “How does that feel, baby?”
“Good,” she says in a small voice, which tells me she’s once again in pain.
Noah lifts her by the waist and places her over his lap sideways, then starts applying pressure against her lower back like he did earlier.
She leans into his body and rests her head on his shoulder.
I take the spot she was previously occupying beside Noah and grab her legs, stretching them out over my lap.
I begin massaging her calves, then her feet, occasionally going up to her thighs but always coming back down.
I know that’s not where her pain is, but if it can distract her a little and make her feel good, then I’m happy to do it.
besides, I just really want to be touching her, too.
A smile spreads along my lips when I notice her toenails do match her hair.
One foot pink and the other blue. I was expecting to find them nude like her fingernails.
Halfway through the movie, she places her right hand above Noah’s, which rests along the heating pad. I watch their hands together for a second, then look away, hating the jolt of jealousy spreading through me.
Noah and I always share women; it’s nothing new to see him holding a woman I want. But with Ronnie, it’s not the same. I’m not mad that he’s touching her; I just wish she would want that from me, too.
As if hearing my thoughts, her left hand reaches out for mine.
When I look up into her eyes, she smiles softly at me.
I love these kinds of smiles. I love the little laughs she gives us.
It all feels so intimate. I always knew they would be beautiful.
And if I thought she owned a piece of my heart before I finally witnessed some real ones, she definitely owns it completely now.
I glide my right hand up from her calves and lace our fingers together, then bring it to my lips and kiss the back of her palm. “Why don’t you spend the night here?” Her eyes narrow at my suggestion, but I quickly finish what I was saying before she gets the wrong idea.
“You could stay in the spare room. I’d just feel better knowing and seeing that you’re okay. Like that, we could check on you throughout the night, and if there’s anything you need, we’ll be here to take care of you.”
Her features soften again, and that soft smile returns. “I’ll think about it. It’s still early, so we’ll see how I feel later.”
“Just let us know,” Noah says as he kisses her forehead.
Ronnie lifts her head away from Noah, her eyes gazing into his until they fall to his lips. She brings the hand that was holding his up to his jaw, her delicate fingers cupping the side of his face. She then closes her eyes and leans in, pressing her lips to his.
It’s not a passionate kiss with an open mouth, tongue, and the whole sexual excitement that comes with it. It’s tender, one with a hidden meaning.
After a few seconds, she pulls away, and her hand drops from his jaw.
For a moment, she just stares at him, but then her head turns my way, and her gaze falls on me.
And instantly, my heart rate skyrockets.
Her free hand lifts once again and comes to my cheek this time, where she pulls me closer until our lips are barely an inch away.
I can feel her warm breath fanning against my lips, her featherlike touch against my cheek sending a rush of shivers down my body. All my senses awaken in this one little moment. Finally, she closes the distance between us, and I’m hit with paradise.
It’s a simple kiss, yet it’s more than I could have ever imagined. Even if it ended as soon as it began, it felt like it lasted a lifetime. I can still feel her against my tingling lips as she pulls away and looks at me.
“This doesn’t mean I’m going to sleep with either of you,” she says after a beat while eyeing us both. “It was just a kiss. A way to say thank you for all you’ve done today. It really means a lot to me.”
“We weren’t expecting anything more,” Noah tells her.
She snorts. “Yeah, well, your dicks are telling me something else. One’s poking my ass and the other my leg.”
“Hey! We can’t help it. We’re men, and we’re attracted to you. This isn’t new.” I laugh.
“You’re right. I should have expected it.” She giggles, then returns to her position against Noah.
By the end of the movie, Ronnie has fallen into a deep sleep, with little purrs falling from her slightly parted lips. Lips that were on mine not long ago. I can’t stop watching her; she seems so peaceful and content at this moment. I wonder if she’s dreaming. And if so, would she dream of us?